The Kingdoms of Evernow Box Set

by Heidi Catherine

  He pushed his hair back off his face and glanced back to the flock, realizing he was getting too far away, so he turned to swoop back. There were over a thousand birds behind him. Men birds and women birds. Everyone in the Colony who was fit to travel had come. Only the young and old had stayed behind. Spector had always wondered why life was like that. You got born hopeless, like Horrie the Horrible, then slowly you got good at things, then you ended up hopeless again. It didn’t seem fair. He planned never to get hopeless. Eagles soared until the day they died.

  The Colonel had said it’d take all day and some of the night to reach their rest spot. Spector didn’t want to rest. They’d done a lot of training for the Battle game. This was mainly breaking up into groups and pretending to fight each other. It seemed like a bit of a waste of time. Surely there weren’t people out there who’d hurt each other on purpose? Mother always said there was nothing like a good cup of black sage tea and a chat to sort problems out. He’d asked the Colonel if they should try that first, but he said no, which was disappointing. Then again, Mother had lost the argument with Father about him playing Battle, so perhaps tea didn’t always work. Better to do the training just in case, he supposed.

  Sometimes, instead of training, the Colonel would talk to them, asking them questions and having ideas so he could figure out how to win. Battle sounded like a fun game, except the Colonel never smiled when he spoke about it. Aarow talked sometimes too. Spector liked Aarow. He was just like the Colonel with more smiles on his mouth. He’d be a good Colonel one day, too.

  The Princess talked to them sometimes as well. She had a quiet voice, although the more she used it, the more it came out loud. The last time she spoke it was almost like a shout and everyone had clapped and whooped and cheered, making Spector wish he’d listened to her words put together, instead of how each one sounded when it came out.

  She knew a lot about the Capital and Aarow said they were lucky to have her on their side. She was a special part of the Battle game. Spector had a secret bad thought about the Princess, too. He wondered if she was a little slow in her brain, because she didn’t realize that if the Capital no longer ruled the kingdom then she wouldn’t be a princess anymore. Spector had never heard of anyone who wouldn’t want that. All the girls in the Colony followed Aarow around, keen to be a princess. Not that the Colonel’s wife was technically a princess, but it was the closest they got to it in the Colony.

  The older woman he’d spotted in the desert with the Princess had stayed behind at the Colony. She didn’t want to, but Battle wasn’t safe for Horrie the Horrible. It was hard to play at fighting when you were holding a baby. You’d lose that part of the game for certain.

  The other girl was here with them, walking next to the Princess and talking like she was worried there’d be no words left if she stopped. Everyone thought the girl was younger than the Princess, but Spector knew she wasn’t. He was good at guessing ages. This girl was the same age as the Princess, her face just hadn’t caught up to her years. She was like the opposite of him.

  Because as much as people thought Spector didn’t know he was different from the rest of them, he did know. He knew that, as well as everything else he needed to know in life. Mother said the world needed lots of different people. She said he was perfect. There was no need for a cup of tea to convince him of that. He was a perfect eagle.

  Spector raced off ahead, giving his wings an extra flap, keen to get started with the Battle game. They were going to win, for sure, for certain. And he had an important job to do as part of it. This was the happiest day of his life.

  RANI

  THE BATTLE

  Rani huddled beside members of the Colony, no longer flinching when their shoulders bumped, or an outstretched foot tapped her on the knee. These were her people now. When the Colonel had referred to her as a reborn, she hadn’t realized just how significant this was. She had been reborn. Or perhaps just-born would be even more appropriate, as she felt like she’d never lived before now.

  Sitting in the dark at the bottom of a dune holding Azrael’s hand felt like the most natural thing in the world. But in the last few turns—days, she reminded herself—she’d become aware of just how different this innocent gesture could be, depending on whose hand it was you held.

  Once, in training, she’d been paired with Aarow and when she’d tried to fake punch him in the stomach, he’d caught her hand, firmly yet gently, and threaded his fingers through hers. It was no different to how she held her friend’s hand now, yet it was nothing the same. Azrael’s touch brought her calm and comfort. Aarow’s touch sent every one of her senses into meltdown. She’d heard her lungs pull in a deep breath and hold it. She’d seen his pupils widen, turning his brown eyes to black, making her wonder if hers had done the same. She’d smelled his masculinity as his heart rate picked up a beat. And she’d tasted metal as she realized she’d been biting her bottom lip so hard she’d drawn blood. And in this way, she’d felt his touch, not just with her skin, but with her soul.

  He’d let go of her hand and stepped back, choosing to partner with someone else on the next round and she wasn’t certain if it was because her touch had meant the same to him or because it hadn’t. She didn’t know a lot about love and desire and how to pull them apart.

  It was quiet in the dunes, given how many people lay in wait. The Colonel had been very clear about this. Not a sound could be allowed to rise with the wind, alerting the ears of the Capital. Surprise was one of their secret weapons.

  The other was touch. For they’d brought no weapons with them other than their hands. If all went well, Rani also hoped to touch the people with her heart.

  The moon was sliding slowly toward the dunes as night threatened to turn to day. The lower it got, the higher Rani’s anxiety rose, and she felt her teeth grind, a habit she thought she’d left behind, along with her old life.

  What she was about to do felt so much bigger than anything she’d done before, including running into the desert, for that had affected the lives of only four people, whereas this affected the lives of the entire kingdom, both in the Colony and the Capital.

  The Colonel had said failure wasn’t an option and he was right. If they revealed the existence of this hidden colony and failed to seize power, then their peaceful life was over.

  Rani couldn’t see how that could happen. They had the numbers. They had the strength. They had the determination. And they were working for the good. Surely that had to count for something? Azrael had said it didn’t. Bad things happened to good people all the time. A darkness had crossed her eyes when she said that, and Rani’s own eyes had filled with tears as they did whenever she was reminded how her friend had suffered in the Round. Aarow’s friend, Jinn, had been paying Azrael a lot of attention since their arrival and Rani had watched her recoil from him, not because he wasn’t a good person, but because he was a man and Azrael needed time to heal.

  The only thing to be thankful for in that situation was that Azrael’s time came again not long after their arrival, which meant there’d be no child to remind Azrael of what had happened to her. Not that Rani thought she’d ever be able to forget.

  Rani’s own time came, too. For real this time and she’d run to Sharma for help. It was like her body had been waiting until she was as far away from the Chairman as possible before it turned her into a woman.

  Her thoughts were interrupted by the cry of an eagle, so realistic that Rani wondered if in fact, a real eagle had flown overhead rather than the imitation call they’d been told Spector would perform. That man had quite a talent! Rani had warmed to Spector immediately, but was puzzled by the strange way he looked at her when he wasn’t hiding behind his hair. Like he wanted to ask her a question and didn’t know how to phrase it.

  Azrael squeezed her hand in the darkness and Rani could sense her fear through their fingers. She squeezed back to tell her she understood. It was the only way she could communicate right now.

  The eagle cry came again an
d the Colony adjusted their scarves to cover their faces. They were dressed like anyone else in the Capital. Blending in would be the easy part. Taking control would be harder.

  But greatness couldn’t be achieved without hard work and risk. The Sands of Naar was entering a new phase in its history. There was no turning back now.

  Let the battle for freedom begin.

  AZRAEL

  THE BATTLE

  Azrael clutched Rani’s hand, knowing it was time for her to say goodbye. This was where the Colony would divide into two groups. The borns and the reborns. Rani was the exception, as she’d been for most of her life. She’d be facing this battle alongside Aarow and the Colonel for reasons Azrael was yet to fully understand.

  Never did Azrael think she’d willingly return to the Capital. Then again, never did she think she’d be part of a revolution, set to overthrow it. But she was returning as an enemy, not a friend. Actually no, that wasn’t right. She was the friend. The Chairman was the only enemy here. It was important to remember that.

  The reborns rose and stretched the cramps in their limbs as they sipped on their waterskins. Their job was different to the borns, but the Colonel had stressed it was no less important.

  Azrael let go of Rani’s hand and stood with them, ignoring the twisted knots in her stomach. Were they from nerves or excitement? Probably both. There was only one other time she remembered feeling like this, and that was in almost this very same spot, as she’d fled her former life in the Capital.

  It was still dark and she couldn’t see Rani’s face, so imagined she was smiling at her. She smiled in return, wishing she could say goodbye. But not a sound was to be made. She was here to help, not to ruin everything with her inability to keep quiet.

  Azrael headed with the reborns toward the Round. Before they could be spotted under the soft light of the clouded moon, the women turned to the left and the men to the right, making their way to the tents that once they called home.

  There were probably only a hundred of them, but the strength of the energy that passed between them made it feel like there were a thousand. They may have left the Capital alone, but they were returning together.

  Azrael was near the rear of the group and watched the shadows of the others divide once they entered the women’s village. As much as they were working as a team, they each had an important role to play on their own.

  She counted the rows of tents to be certain it was the fifth row she took. Then she counted the individual tents, searching for her own.

  Would the woman she’d shared it with remember her? She wasn’t sure. All she’d ever done was grunt at Azrael. She’d never even said a word. Perhaps it didn’t matter if she remembered. As long as she listened to what she had to say. Ears always worked better when mouths were kept closed.

  “Fifty-one, fifty-two, fifty-three, fifty-four…fifty-five,” she counted under her breath.

  There it was. The tent. Her tent. Or perhaps someone else slept on her mat now.

  “Hello?” she whispered as she pulled back the animal skin and stepped inside.

  If only this could be done in the daylight it’d be so much easier. She had no idea if there was even anyone inside.

  “Hello?” she tried again. “It’s me. Azrael. Do you remember? I shared this tent with you for a time. I need to speak with you.”

  She heard the ruffle of fabric and a soft glow filled the tent as a lantern sparked to life, the flame kept low so only the softest light was emitted.

  There was a young girl, sitting on what had once been Azrael’s mat, holding a lantern in front of her, the shadow of the flame dancing off the walls of the tent with the shaking of her hand. The grunting woman was staring at her from her mat, her expression neutral as if Azrael’s sudden appearance was the most uneventful thing in the world.

  “I remember you from the Growing Centre,” the girl said, drawing Azrael’s attention away from the woman.

  Azrael nodded, although she struggled to recognize the girl in return.

  “They said you were released. Where have you been?” she asked.

  “We don’t have much time,” said Azrael, speaking quickly. Now that she had their attention, she had to get on with what she’d come here to do.

  “Time for what?” the girl asked.

  “I wasn’t released,” said Azrael. “I ran away, with Princess Rani and Sharma who once sat on the Board. We ran into the desert, hoping to cross the river and find a kingdom that treated us with respect.” She paused to gauge how they were taking this news. The girl was wide-eyed and the woman had propped herself up on her elbows, finally deciding what Azrael had to say might be interesting.

  “Why would the Princess leave?” asked the girl. “She was supposed to be our Empress one day.”

  “Because even she wasn’t immune to the cruelty of the Chairman. She had no other choice.”

  “None of us have a choice.” The girl set down the lantern and crossed her arms.

  “We do!” Azrael crept closer to her. “We do have a choice. I don’t have time to explain everything to you right now, so please just listen to what I have to say. We ran into the desert, making it as far as the river, and no further. The conditions were far more brutal than we’d ever imagined and we thought we were going to die. But just before death claimed us, we were rescued and brought to a Colony that thrives under the desert sand. The Colony is ruled by kindness and respect, instead of hatred and fear. Touch isn’t evil, it’s used to heal. Nobody must endure a touch they don’t wish to receive and the touch of a loved one is welcome. People can marry and raise their babies, forming bonds that last forever.”

  The more Azrael spoke, the more the girl’s eyes lit up. Her words hadn’t just hit a nerve, they’d set her whole body alight with the possibility of escaping the misery that was her life.

  “I want to go there,” the girl said.

  Azrael smiled. This was exactly the reaction she’d hoped for. “You don’t have to go. The Colony has come to you. They want to overthrow the Board and set all of us free. Under their rule, we’ll be able to live just as they do in the Colony.”

  “No more Conception Centre?” the girl asked.

  Azrael shook her head. “Absolutely no more Conception Centre. That will be the first thing to go. It’s been promised.”

  A grunt came from behind Azrael as the woman cleared her throat.

  Azrael spun around to look at her, wondering if at last she was going to speak. She was sitting up, her eyes filled with tears.

  “Talk to me,” said Azrael.

  The woman blinked slowly, staring hard at Azrael. “Will we be reunited with our children?” Her voice was soft, far more feminine than Azrael had expected.

  “Yes.” Azrael reached out to comfort her, then thought better of it, remembering how much time she’d needed to adjust to human touch. “You had a child?”

  “I had many children,” the woman replied, her voice breaking from not having been used for so long. “All taken from me at birth. I…”

  Her voice trailed off and Azrael realized she’d judged this woman without understanding her story. If Azrael had babies torn from her, she doubted she’d want to get close to anyone else either. What was the point in a kingdom so cruel?

  “What do you need us to do?” asked the girl, leaping to her feet.

  Azrael stood beside her and waited as the woman joined them. She held out her hands, one to each of them with her palms facing up. “Please, take my hands. I promise nothing bad will happen. The stories you’ve been told about touch are a lie. It’s time to release your fear. This is the most important thing you can do to change your lives.”

  The girl slipped her hand into Azrael’s without a moment’s hesitation, grinning broadly at the contact.

  “I’ve always wanted to do that to someone,” she said. “Your hand is so warm!”

  Azrael waited as the woman glanced around the tent as if a guard may jump out any moment.

  “You’re safe,”
said Azrael. “Please, trust me.”

  The woman nodded and took hold of Azrael’s hand, gripping it tightly. She held out her other hand and took the hand of the girl so they formed a circle.

  “What do we do now?” the girl asked.

  “We go and talk to the others,” said Azrael. “I need your help. I haven’t come here alone. Right now there are dozens of women just like me in the tents they once lived in, talking to the women they were never allowed to touch. In the men’s village, the same thing is happening. We need to reach everyone with our message, and we need to do it quickly. Will you go to our neighbors and spread the word? We need everyone on our side if we’re going to succeed.”

  Both the girl and the woman nodded, promising to help.

  “What do we tell them to do?” the woman asked.

  “Nothing. Tell them to do nothing. Not yet. Just stay outside the Round for now. The Board and any guards who choose to fight won’t be able to defend the Capital on their own. Your job is to wait. And when the battle is over, your lives will become better than you can imagine. I promise you this.”

  “Thank you,” the woman said. “I’m sorry I—”

  “Please!” Azrael cut her off. “No apologies. You’ve done no wrong here. Quickly now. We have no time to waste.”

  They released their hands and left the tent, each of them choosing another that was dark and quiet.

  The plan was working. Azrael just hoped the other reborns were having as much success as she’d just had. She hoped for so many things she felt like her chest might explode.

  Desperation did that. Sometimes it consumed every ounce of your hope and other times it turned hope into the only thing you had left.